Paper box



April 13, 1943. a. v. POE 1 PAPER BOX Filed 001;. 22, 1942- PatentedApr. 13, 1943 PAPER BOX George Vaughn Poe, Memphis, Tenn., assignor toMemphis Paper Company, Memphis, Tenn.

Application October 22, 1942, Serial No. 463,008

11 Claims.

This invention relates to paper boxes and, more particularly, to lockingtongues for holding the separable tray and lid portions of a paper boxtogether. 1

The primary object of the invention is to provide inter-engaging lockingtongues on the portion side walls of the tray and lid of a paper boxwhich lie adjacent when the box is closed so as detachably to hold thelid against removal. In a box of the type ordinarily used for laundry,it is intended to provide a locking tongue arrangement which, whileunobtrusive and sufficiently small so as not to weaken the boxstructure, nevertheless is sufficiently strong to transmit the entireload when the full box is lifted by its lid. Furthermore, it is anobject so to form the locking tongues that, when once interlocked, theywill not accidentally disengage under strains caused by lifting the loadby the lid, stacking loaded boxes on top of one another, or by roughhandling. With all this, it is particularly intended that the tongues beeasily manipulatable by rapid, almost automatic manual operation withoutvexatious fitting, and that they be readily disengageable withouttearing the package or causing negative reaction on the part of theconsumer.

More specifically, it is an object to provide an elongated lockingtongue struck from the side wall of a tray, the locking tongue extendingupwardly from the base of the side wall where it turns from the bottomto a region not far from the top edge of the box. The unusual length ofthe tongue provides extra strength in that movement through acomparatively wide arc of the top of the tongue, caused by relativelateral movement between the lid and tray, causes relatively littletearing movement at the base of the tongue. The length further allowsthe required bending of the tongue for insertion and removal. The top ofthe tongue is preferably fiat with diagonal shoulders sloping downwardlyat the corners. A slot complementary with the top end of the tongue iscut in the side wall of the box, the slot being slightly below thetongue for receiving it with a snap action when the tongue is pushedinwardly. Before this is done, however, an auxiliary tab struck from themain tongue and extending in the opposite direction is inserted in anauxiliary slot in the side wall of the lid flexing back the end of themain tongue.

It is thus intended to provide a locking arrangement having these andother advantages which will be apparent from the following specificationand drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the assembly;

Figure 2 is a plan view showing the blank from which the lid is formed;

Figure 3 is a plan view similar to Figure 2 but showing the blank fromwhich the bottom is formed;

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing, in detail, the step of insertingthe tab into the auxiliary slot; and,

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 55 of Figurel and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawing in which like reference numerals denotesimilar objects, the invention is embodied in a laundry box having,conventionally, a lid 2 which includes top, end and side walls 4, 6, and8, respectively, bent downwardly from the lid and joined at the cornersas shown at H). The tray I 2 which the top telescopes over is comprisedof bottom, end, and side walls l4, l6, and i8, respectively, bent upfrom the bottom and joined at the corners as shown at 20.

The inventive features reside in main locking tongues 22 struck from thematerial forming the side walls l8 of the tray. Since the tongues areidentical on each side only one will be described, it being apparentthat similar tongues may likewise be provided at the ends of the box. Aswill be seen from the drawing, the main locking tongue 22 extendsupwardly from the fold line 24 which joins the bottom l4 and side wallill of the tray so that tongue 22 may be said to connect with the bottoml4 and to be independent of side wall [8. It may likewise be noted thatthe free end or top 26 of the tongue lies near the upper portion of thebox and that diagonal shoulders 28 connect the horizontal top 26 withthe straight vertical sides 29 of the tongue. An auxiliary tab 30,struck from tongue 22 so as to extend in the opposite direction, isprovided slightly above the middle of the tongue.

In the side wall 8 of the lid 2 a main slot 32 is cut so as to form ashort tab 34, the main slot having a horizontal top 36, diagonalshoulders 38 and straight short vertical sides 39. It should be notedparticularly that while main slot 32 is substantially complementary withthe upper portions of tongue 22, the horizontal top and diagonalshoulders of the slot 36, 38 are slightly below the top and shoulders26, 28 of the tongue so that when the tongue is pushed inwardly, it willsnap past and lock behind the edges of the slot. An auxiliary slot 40 iscut in side wall 8 at the base of short tab 34 for receiving auxiliarytab 30, the auxiliary slot being substantially U-shaped with the bight42 of the U being substantially straight and horizontal whereas theauxiliary tab 30 is of curved U shape. Furthermore, bight 42 of slot 40lies above the lower free end of tab 38 for reasons apparent below.

When lid 2 is telescoped downwardly on tray l2, tongue 22 is left on theoutside so as to overlie the side wall 3 of the lid. Tab 22 is thentaken, preferably with the operators forefinger lying near or slightlybelow auxiliary tab 39 and with thumb behind the upper end of the tongueand the upper end is then flexed outwardly so that the lower free end oftab 30 swings upwardly and inwardly as the tab is bent. This step isillustrated in Figure By pushing inwardly on tongue 22, tab 30 isinserted through slot ll) and as the upper free end of tongue 22 isstraightened and pressed against edge 36 of main slot 32, the lower endof tab 39 is thereby swung downwardly behind side wall 8 of the lidbelow slot 46. Then by slight inward pressure, the upper end of tongue22 is snapped through main slot 32 and lodged behind side wall 8 of thelid above edge 36 cf the main slot. The bevelled shoulders 28 and 38 oftongue 22 and main slot 32 cooperate as guides to facilitate the snapaction.

When it is desired to open the box the procedure is reversed by engaginga fingernail be hind tongue 22, preferably slightly below a shoulder 23,and snapping the upper free end of the tongue outwardly where it can begripped for pulling tab 30 from auxiliary slot 46.

It is to be understood that the invention may be applied to one or moresides of any box formed of somewhat flexible material, and that thestructure may be inverted or applied to boxes opening sideways, theinvention being limited only by the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a box including a tray member, and a lid member having adjacentside walls vertically telescoping with one another, a verticallydisposed tongue struck from a side wall of one member and having a freeend disposed in one direction, the tongue being adapted to overlie theadjacent side wall of the other member, a tab struck from said tongueand being disposed in a direction opposite from said one direction, theother member having a first slot in the side wall thereof for receivingsaid tongue, and a second slot for receiving said tab.

2. The combination claimed in claim 1, t-he'first slot being set-back soas to lie beneath the free end of said tongue whereby to provide asnapaction when said tongue is pushed into said slot.

3. The combination claimed in claim 1, the first slot being generally U-shaped and complementary in width with the free end of said tongue, but

being set-back so that the bight of the U underlies the free end of thetongue, whereby to provide a snap-action when said tongue is pushed intosaid slot.

4. The combination claimed in claim 1, said tab and second slot beinggenerally U-shaped.

5. The combination claimed in claim 1, said tab and second slot beinggenerally U-shaped, the bight of the U-shaped second slot underlying thebase of the tab.

6. In a box including a tray having a bottom and a side wall foldedupwardly therefrom, and a lid having a side wall telescopicallyengageable over the side wall of the tray, a tongue struck from the sidewall of the tray, said tongue having its free end extending upwardly andhaving its lower end attached adjacent the bottom, whereby the tonguemay overlie the side wall of the lid, a tab struck from said tongue andhaving its free end extending downwardly, the side wall of said lidhaving a first slot for receiving said tongue and a second slot forreceiving said tab.

'7. The combination claimed in claim 6, said first slot being slightlybelow the end of said tongue, whereby to cause said tongue to snaptherethrough when pushed inwardly.

8. The combination claimed in claim 6, the free end of said tongue beingsubstantially horizontal and having inclined shoulders at the cornersthereof, said first slot being substantially complementary with the freeend of said tongue, but having the horizontal and shoulder portionthereof slightly below those of the tongue.

9. The combination claimed in claim 6, said tab and said second slotbeing substantially U- shaped.

10. The combination claimed in claim 6, the second slot beingsubstantially the shape of a U having a straight horizontal bight, thetab being substantially the shape of a U having a curved bight and legs,the bight of the slot being substantially on the level of the base ofthe tab, whereby the tab may be inserted through the second slot byflexing the end of the tongue outwardly.

11. The combination claimed in claim 6, the tab and second slot beingsubstantially U-shaped, the bight of the second slot being substantiallyabove the end of the tab, whereby the tongue may be flexed outwardly forinserting the tab into the slot, the tongue having straight verticalsides, a horizontal top edge, and inclined shoulders at the corners, thefirst slot being substantially complementary with the upper outline ofthe tab but with the horizontal and inclined port-ions thereof slightlybelow those of the tongue whereby the tongue will snap through the slotwhen pressed inwardly.

G. VAUGHN POE.

